Being headquartered in Austin, Texas, we’re pretty spoiled with having some of the best barbecue in the country. You honestly can’t say the words ‘good barbecue’ without thinking of Aaron Franklin of Franklin Barbecue. Franklin has been deemed to be the King of Barbecue and has achieved so much in such a short amount of time. He has created a great product and does an amazing job selling it, or in his case, selling out. Franklin Barbecue has sold out of brisket everyday of its existence, proving that Aaron is not only a BBQ extraordinaire, but also an extremely successful entrepreneur.
Aaron grew up in Bryan, Texas working at his parent’s barbecue stand, so it could be said that cooking good barbecue is in his blood. Aaron and his wife Stacy became entrepreneurs in 2009 when they opened up Franklin Barbecue as a food trailer. As any budding start up, the two had absolutely no idea what they were getting themselves into. But within a few months, the line of hungry admirers wrapped around the block every morning, and Franklin Barbecue quickly became known as the best barbecue in Austin.
Aaron and Stacy soon realized their startup idea was not only making a local impact but hitting on a national level as well – Bon Appetit deemed them to be the best barbecue in America. Not too shabby! The restaurant quickly outgrew their trailer and moved into a brick and mortar location, which has since expanded to accommodate more people. Regardless of the massive growth his business has undergone, Aaron still smokes his barbecue outside, no matter the weather, because he wants to sell the same great product everyday.
If you’re ever in Austin, don’t forget to wake up early to stand in line for some of the best barbecue you’ll ever taste. Chances are, you’ll even be able to meet the impressive entrepreneur who started it all.
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